Tough Feelings
by Lily Hanson
Summary: "Kendall?" the woman asked and looked Kendall up and down once before smiling brightly. She reached over, pinching Kendall's cheeks. "My, my, look how much you've grown! You were barely up to my hip last time I saw you."
1. A Shocking Visit

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Monster sightings had been slow. Heckyl had sent down some monsters to challenge the Rangers, but with the exception of one monster that made everyone a little over-relaxed, and another monster that had a crush on the male Rangers, none of them were any real threat. Kendall was still spending time in her lab, but until Heckyl sent down a monster that could prove itself a real challenge to the Rangers and that required her to invent a new weapon or mode, she was... bored.

She couldn't remember the last time work was ever boring for her. Of course, there were times where the job was a bit dreary, and she didn't always enjoy the long nights, but at least while her job had purpose, she could keep herself busy.

So she strayed from the lab and headed up to her museum, deciding to check on how things were running there. She started with the cafe, where most of the Rangers worked. Kendall couldn't pinpoint the exact moment it happened, but after Shelby moved on from her role as manager, Riley stepped up to lead the cafe. Perhaps it was his need for organization that pulled him to making a fair and balanced schedule for the employees and his need for cleanliness likely drew him to setting up routines and new protocols for the cafe. The green Ranger was in charge, and no one seemed to have any complaints. Since the cafe was running well, and costumers were satisfied, Kendall didn't feel the need to do anything to intervene.

She then started to walk the museum floor, checking up on the displays. She had experts working in every exhibit to ensure what the guests saw and read was as accurate as possible, so she doubted there would be a problem there. Her tour guides were all well trained and passionate for the job, so her guests were happy, and while there had been no new findings by the museum out in the field, her dig team was still hard at work with their research. Kendall had to trust that soon, something would come out of it.

Everything was running well, and with Heckyl and Snide seemingly taking a break, Kendall thought maybe she could have a relaxing day.

It had been a while since she had taken a whole day to relax. One time in high school, she had been sick with the flu, and couldn't do anything except lay in bed. Even getting up to use the washroom proved to take a lot of effort.

Maybe she had never allowed herself a real day off. There had always been something to do.

What did a day off even look like? Chase often went to the skate park after work to relax. Kendall didn't think going to the skate park would be relaxing for her. Maybe heading back to the bar to sing karaoke? Heckyl had introduced her to the activity back before she knew who he really was, and she had enjoyed it. However, it had been a while, and Kendall didn't think singing in front of a bunch of strangers would be a great way to unwind.

Cammy was in school for the day, so Kendall couldn't take her out for some fun. The thought did cross her mind, though. Cammy was a smart girl, and missing one day wouldn't harm her. She decided against it, though. Cammy was doing really well in school not just academically, but socially, which had been a huge challenge for her the year before. It was best to keep Cammy with her friends for now.

"Uh, excuse me," Kendall felt someone tap her shoulder and turned around to see an older woman. "Do you work here?"

Kendall nodded her head and smiled kindly. "I do. Is there something I can help you with?"

It was work, but work did relax her. Perhaps Kendall could simply work in the museum for the day.

"Yes, I'm looking for a Kendall Morgan," the lady said. "I hear she works here."

"You've found her. What can I do for you?"

"Kendall?" the woman asked and looked Kendall up and down once before smiling brightly. She reached over, pinching Kendall's cheeks. "My, my, look how much you've grown! You were barely up to my hip last time I saw you."

Kendall tried to be polite to the customer, but moved the woman's hand away from her face, "Excuse me?"

"It's me. It's G-Ma Betty. Don't you remember me?"

"I... I'm sorry but I don't," Kendall shook her head. "G-Ma Betty?"

"I can't say I blame you, really," G-Ma Betty shrugged. "You were just a little sprout last I saw you."

"Saw me where?" Kendall asked. "Excuse me, but..."

"I'm your grandmother, Doodlebug!" G-Ma Betty explained while she leaned in for a tight hug. Kendall frowned deeply as the woman put her arms around her.

"Doodlebug?" Kendall heard someone behind her chuckling and turned around to see Shelby standing a little ways off with a notebook and pen. She walked over and held out her hand to G-Ma Betty, "So nice to meet you. I'm Shelby Watkins, Ms. Morgan's protégée."

"Protégée?" Kendall frowned and glanced at the pink Ranger. Shelby shrugged at Kendall then turned her attention back to Kendall's grandmother.

"What brings you by? Are you here to tour the museum or...?"

"I'm afraid it's not good news," G-Ma Betty started, but Kendall interrupted.

"I'm sorry, whose grandmother are you? I honestly don't recall... having a grandmother," she said. It didn't make any sense to her at all. Of course, biologically, she had grandparents. However, as far as she was concerned, they were all dead. At least, when her social worker told her she would have to be placed in foster care, as there were no relative available to take her, Kendall assumed it meant she had no family left other than her father who was MIA.

"She's yours, Doodlebug," Shelby teased, lightly punching Kendall in the arm as she smiled, until Shelby noticed the glare on Kendall's face and realized the family connection and the problem it posed. "Oh. She's not a Fisher grandmother, is she?"

Kendall shook her head as she turned back to G-Ma. It was the older woman's turn to be confused.

"Fisher? Who is he?"

"They," Kendall answered. "And they're my family. Jon and Bella Fisher, both of which have no living parents to speak of."

"Well, this is awkward," Shelby stated. She pointed to her notebook, "Well, I'm just going to..." she tried to leave, but Kendall was quick to snatch her arm and hold her back, keeping Shelby right by her side. Neither woman understood why it happened. Kendall just knew that she didn't want to be face to face with her grandmother alone.

G-Ma Betty looked to Kendall, a little guiltily, "I understand it's been a while, but there is something I need to discuss with you."

"I don't think right now is..."

"Your father is dead," G-Ma stated. "Your father, my son, died last night."

"Uh, you know, there's an amazing triceratops exhibit in the cretaceous wing that'll just blow your mind," Shelby cut in, taking G-Ma Betty by the arm and spinning her around, almost dragging her off. "The triceratops is my absolute favourite dinosaur and I really think you'll grow to love it too!"

As she walked off with G-Ma Betty, Shelby glanced over her shoulder at Kendall, who mouthed a quick thank you then rushed off to her lab.


	2. The Story

Kendall arrived in her lab, feeling out of breath. It was a feeling that left her a little shocked, if she was honest. Her father had been sick; she had known it for a while. For a while too she had wished him out of her life. When he finally did show up, he had been nothing but trouble. She wasn't proud to admit, she didn't care how he left her life again. Whether it was on his own, whether he was hit by a bus, as long as he was gone, she didn't care.

Or so she thought. Hearing he had died upset her in a way she never imagined it would. He had never loved her. He had never been part of her life in any meaningful way. She shouldn't have felt any grief over him.

It must have had something to do with his pleading for her kidney. He needed an organ she had two of, and she turned him down, knowing full well that waiting for a donor could take more time than he had left. She knew if she turned him down, his odds of dying increased significantly and she still refused him the organ he needed.

Her stomach lurched. She didn't throw up, but she came close. She felt physically sick as the grief overcame her.

"Ms. Morgan?" Riley called as he came down the slide. He had been helping her lately to decipher strange signals they had been receiving from the depths of space and had shown up exactly on time. Kendall wiped her eyes, suppressed her need to be sick and turned to the green Ranger. He frowned, seeing her. "Are you okay?"

"I... I just received some news and it's affecting me more than I thought it would," she stated. She knew it wouldn't be long before all the Rangers knew. Shelby was bound to tell Chase and Koda, at least, and maybe even Tyler. Especially since her grandmother had appeared. That was going to be news the pink Ranger wouldn't be able to keep secret. Kendall didn't think she was ready for everyone to know what had happened, but she also didn't think she would ever be able to bring herself to tell them on her own.

"What kind of news?" Riley asked while he also started to get to work. This is what Kendall liked most about the green Ranger. He was the most similar to her. Work came first. His main focus would be on the job ahead, and the conversation would just be background noise.

"My... my grandmother's in town," she answered, finding it would be easier to talk through her feelings of her grandmother showing up unexpectedly than it would be to talk about her dead dad.

"Grandmother?" Riley asked, trying not to be rude by asking for clarification. All the Rangers had grown up with their biological families. They didn't know how to ask Kendall if, when she spoke of relatives, she meant the ones who gave birth to her, or the ones that truly loved her. Kendall gave him the answer he was looking for.

"My dad's mom. I haven't seen her, I guess, since I was really little."

"What's she doing here?"

"She just... wants to talk, I guess."

"About what?"

"I don't know."

"I take it you don't want to talk to her?" Riley asked and Kendall gave him a perplexed look. He gestured to the lab. "She's in town and you're down here."

"She's alive and well," Kendall stated. "At least, as far as I know she is."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Before the Fishers were allowed to adopt me, social services wanted to see if there was any family that might want to take me in. If my grandmother is alive and well..."

"Maybe she wasn't at the time?" Riley suggested. "You know what it's like with grandparents. My grandfather was never healthier than right before he died. Would you be open to hearing her out?"

Kendal shrugged her shoulders. Riley did bring up a good point. Health was fluctuating. At the time, her grandmother could have been too sick and weak to look after a teenager. Maybe she would have thought she didn't have the energy necessary and thought Kendall might be better off with a younger couple. However, that didn't explain why her grandmother never made any attempts to visit growing up.

"I like what I have now," she answered.

"Would she compromise it?" Riley asked. "Are Jeremy and your parents really going to care for you any less if you want to have a relationship or something with your biological grandmother?"

"Probably not."

"Are you willing to open yourself up to it?"

"I don't have much luck with blood relatives," Kendall said. "Would it be wrong of me to want nothing to do with her?"

"Not really," Riley shook his head. "She's missed so much time."

Kendall nodded her head, thanked Riley for the talk then asked him to keep working while she went back upstairs. She hid away in her office, first to contemplate how to deal with her grandmother, but then her mind strayed to her father. A wave of guilt washed over her and she thought she was going to be sick. Her father was dead, and while she hadn't made him sick, she felt responsible. All of a sudden, it felt like she could have done something more to help him.

And this feeling went beyond the simple kidney. She felt she should have tried to reach out to him more. She felt she should have been more forgiving and open to her father. Maybe if she had just given him money, without protest, he would have stuck around a little longer. Maybe he would have seen she wasn't just a helpless little girl anymore and he would have wanted her back again.

She knew it was crazy, but it was the way she felt. She was angry with herself for it.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door, and before she could tell whoever was on the other side to leave, it opened. Shelby stood there with G-Ma Betty, a shocked look on the pink Rangers' face.

"Ms. Morgan... I thought you were... somewhere else."

Kendall shook her head. It was unusual for her to be in her office. Shelby must have taken G-Ma Betty over thinking she could pretend like they had just missed Kendall on their way out. However, Kendall appreciated the visit, assured Shelby it was okay to leave her with G-Ma Betty and let her grandmother tour her office for a bit.

"There's not much here," G-Ma Betty stated bluntly just before picking up a framed photo of the Fisher family. Kendall would have been annoyed at her grandmother snooping around, but she was focused on something else. Her grandmother had been the one to deliver the news of her father's death. Perhaps she had the answers Kendall wanted. "Is this your family?"

Kendall nodded her head, "Those are the Fishers. That's the day we adopted Cammy."

"I see. Where is her mother?" G-Ma Betty asked. Kendall pointed to Mrs. Fisher, at which G-Ma Betty frowned. "They adopted her?"

"Mostly for my sake, I think," Kendall stated. "But they've all blended right in with each other. They were always meant to have her."

"Do they find it difficult, having a young daughter at their age?"

"I guess it comes with its challenges," Kendall shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't blame her grandmother for her curiosity. The Fishers were an older couple, with a grandchild Cammy's age. Their own age had been an issue in the adoption, but with so many people willing to help out, Cammy was able to be placed with them. Fortunately, it had yet to be a real burden to the family. "Though, none that I can think of right now. They say having Cammy around the house makes them feel a little younger."

"What made them want to adopt at their age?"

"Cammy and I met through a mentorship program. When she lost her foster parents in an accident, the Fishers stepped up. They knew how much we needed each other."

"That's a brave decision," G-Ma Betty stated. "I don't think I could do it."

Kendall wanted to correct her grandmother. She had been presented with the opportunity to adopt when she had been around the Fishers' age. Kendall figured, since she hadn't been placed with her biological grandmother, G-Ma Betty had turned her down.

However, she kept her mouth shut. She wanted more answers than just the one.

"You're here because of dad," Kendall said and G-Ma Betty nodded. She sat down on the couch.

"I figured you'd want to talk about that."

"What happened?"

"He was too sick," G-Ma said. "A kidney couldn't come in soon enough and... he passed away last night. I was called down to the hospital. I'm still... a little shocked, to be honest."

"And you came here this morning to tell me?"

"I thought you may want to know," G-Ma answered. "I also thought, maybe, we could meet again. Since we're all we both have left, I thought, hey, why not see what my grandbaby's been up to?"

Kendall sat down at her desk and then turned around the picture of the Fisher family, showing G-Ma Betty. She wanted her grandmother to know she wasn't alone. G-Ma seemed to pick up the hint and nodded her head.

"Would you be open to hearing what happened?"

Kendall nodded her head. G-Ma settled into the couch, as if getting comfortable for a long story.

"Your father had always been great at keeping in touch with me," G-Ma started. "Throughout his marriage, he would call home once a week just to talk. I would hear wonderful stories of his life with your mother. They were very much in love. I was proud of the life he made for himself. But once you came along... Oh, Kendall, I really don't know how to put it kindly."

"Give it a try?" she was already trying to hold the pieces together. She felt guilt over her father's death; she doubted hearing what her grandmother had to say would trigger the tears she was holding back. She had learned to keep her emotions bottled up a long time ago, and had become very good at doing so.

"He wasn't happy anymore. I thought, perhaps it had something to do with fatigue. Newborns are a handful right from the moment they come out. I know your grandfather and I had a tough time when your father was born. I was sure, once he got a little bit of sleep again, everything would fall into place."

"But it didn't?"

"Amy, your mother, was diagnosed with post-partum depression. She struggled to look after you and with her off work, your father had to stay late at work, then come home and look after you. It was a lot of strain, especially considering... well..."

"Just say it, G-Ma Betty."

"He didn't love you. I told him he would come around. For some parents, it takes time to feel that love and bond with your child. I was sure... I thought if he just stuck it out, past your mother's sickness, he'd find a reason to stay. But your father... He wasn't happy, Kendall. Your mother didn't come around for years. By the time she did start to feel a little better... I think you were just starting school."

It all sounded like it made sense to Kendall. Her earliest memories of her parents were some of the happiest ones. There weren't many, and they couldn't compare to the way she felt with the Fishers, but they were some of the best Morgan family memories.

"By then, it was all too late. Tom, your father, he felt trapped. He had a child he didn't love with a woman he was no longer in love with. Having you, he said, ruined his life. So... I talked him into leaving."

"You?"

"Kendall, you have to understand, Tom was my son and he was so... so unhappy. He wasn't a good father, he was never going to be a good father I just thought him leaving would... it would have to be for the best. There's nothing worse than an absentee parent except for maybe one that regrets being a parent. I thought you would be better off. It wasn't until later, when I got the call from social services, that I realized you weren't."

"And by then?"

"I had been looking after your father, trying to help him get his life back together. He didn't love you, but it wasn't as easy to walk away from you as he made it look. He would go to casinos at night to take his mind off what he called his big mistake. I let it happen until... well, until it wasn't healthy for him anymore. But at that point, he was too far gone. I knew I had messed things up again. I couldn't bring you into that."

"What about my letters?" Kendall asked. Her grandmother wore a guilty look.

"I told Tom not to answer any of them – to send them back, unopened, hoping you would get the hint and stop."

"I was fourteen and had been promised I would get to go home as soon as my dad agreed to look after me."

"Kendall, I know I haven't been the greatest grandmother but... times were hard on me too. Your father was so unhappy. I needed to look after him. And it appears you found yourself a great home," she pointed to the picture of the Fishers. "They look like they all love you very much."

"They do."

"It worked out," G-Ma Betty smiled. "I guess, in the end, I was right to tell your father to leave."

"Twenty years later, you were right," Kendall nodded her head. "The time in between, not so much."

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't worry about it," Kendall shook her head. "It's none of your concern."

"But Kendall, I..."

"When is the funeral?" Kendall asked.

"I... I haven't made arrangement yet," G-Ma Betty stated. "Actually, I was wondering... maybe you had a plan in place already?"

"For dad?" Kendall frowned.

"His insurance is barely going to cover the cost of the funeral and... well, in spite of everything; he was still my son and your father. It's not going to be much, I promise. With how well this museum seems to be doing I doubt you'll even noticed a dent in your..."

Kendall rose from her seat and pointed to her door, "I think it's time you left."

"Look, Kendall, I hate to do this to you now but..."

"G-Ma Betty, I really think it's best you left."

"You didn't give him a kidney," G-Ma Betty frowned. "At the very least, you should consider covering his funeral expenses."

"Please leave," Kendall begged and her grandmother picked up her purse, then scowled at the purple Ranger.

"He only asked for a kidney, you know. And even if you didn't love him, someone did. He was still my baby."

Kendall hit the pager button on her office phone, "Security to the office, please. Security."

"Fine," G-Ma Betty huffed and made her way to the door. "I know when I'm not wanted."

She clutched her purse to her side and stormed out, passed Chase, Koda and Jeremy who rushed in. Kendall slammed the door shut once they were in and turned to the three boys.

"This doesn't leave the room," she told them and made all three of them swear to secrecy just before she burst into tears.


	3. Preparations

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jeremy asked as he straightened out his tie and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked rather decent, which was better than he should have looked. No part of him liked having to attend Tom Morgan's funeral except the part of him that knew he was only going to support Kendall.

And even that part wished he could stay at home.

Kendall nodded her head. She stepped into the bathroom in a purple dress and fixed up her hair. Jeremy forced a half-hearted smile for her.

"You look good," he said.

"I let him die. I figure it's the least I could do," Kendall stated. Jeremy shook his head.

"You didn't owe him anything."

"As much as I hate him, he's still a person," Kendall said. "My duty as a Ranger is to protect everyone. Not just the people I care about."

"True," Jeremy nodded. "However, your duty as a Ranger is to protect everyone from evil monsters. Not from smoking and drinking their life away. Your dad's disease was self-inflicted. Someone more deserving will get your kidneys, even if it's just you."

"I haven't been able to morph since he died," Kendall said. "You don't suppose..."

"Since he died, or since you found out he was dead?" Jeremy asked. "Because there is a huge difference."

"I don't know," Kendall said. "But you can't think it's a coincidence, right?"

"I don't know how these rocks work," Jeremy shrugged and pulled his energem out from under his shirt. He looked to it for a moment before he shook his head, "But I really don't think what you did would change anything about it. Your kidneys are yours to do with as you please. I, personally, think it was noble of you to keep them for someone more deserving. Even if it is just..."

"Me," Kendall finished with a little roll of the eyes. Jeremy had been saying that for the past couple of days and it was starting to drive her crazy. She knew what he thought already, and him repeating it wasn't going to change the way she felt.

"We ready?" Koda asked, poking his head into the bathroom. He too was dressed up with a nice shirt and a tie, making him rather uncomfortable. But he hadn't said a word of complaint. Kendall wanted him to look good and he was doing this for her. It would only be a couple of hours.

"If he was supposed to live," Jeremy said and kissed Kendall's head, "he would have. Let's go say goodbye, alright?"

Kendall nodded her head and followed her brother and Koda out of the house. They were going to drive to the cemetery, where they would meet up with the rest of the Rangers and the Fishers.

-Dino-Charge-

"That whole family drives me insane," Mr. Fisher growled and found he couldn't straighten up his tie, no matter how hard he tried. He grumbled to himself in the mirror as he started over. "The nerve of that old hag to show up like that, make that kind of announcement, and then ask for money."

"Let it go, Jon."

"Honestly, she hasn't seen her granddaughter in over twenty years, she knows her son was a piece of work, and she still expects our daughter, _our daughter_ to cover the cost of the funeral."

"I said let it go," Mrs. Fisher said as she helped her husband with his tie. "Kendall didn't give any money. We've got nothing to be angry about."

"I can be angry with that witch."

"Not in front of Kendall."

"Why not?"

"Because like it or not, that witch is still her family."

"We're her family."

"You know what I mean," Mrs. Fisher frowned at her husband as she finished with his tie, then brushed the old lint off his suit. "We'll show Kendall our unwavering support. How she'll choose to feel about her grandmother will be entirely up to her."

"I can't be a little mad?"

"That child does not need any more guilt on her shoulders," Mrs. Fisher shook her head. "If she chooses she wants a relationship with her grandmother, I want her to feel she can talk to us about it. We do not need to be kind; we just need to be civil. Can you be civil? For Kendall?"

Mr. Fisher muttered a reluctant yes, so Mrs. Fisher left him to get on his shoes while she made her way down to Cammy's bedroom. She found the nine year old sitting on her bed, still in her pyjamas, trying to decide what she wanted to wear.

"You looked great in both of them, Cammy," she said. "Just pick one. We need to get going soon."

"I don't want to go," Cammy huffed. "And I don't want to look good for him."

Mrs. Fisher sighed. She had just finished dealing with her husband and his sulking over the funeral. She didn't want to have to talk Cammy around too. She sat on the bed next to her daughter.

"Are you confused about why we're going?"

"A little," Cammy admitted. "But that's not what's bugging me."

"So then what is it?"

"I shouldn't dress up nice for him," Cammy said. "He's a bad man."

"We aren't here to judge," Mrs. Fisher shook her head. "We're going for Kendall. That's what you do at these things, Cammy. You go for the family that's alive. Kendall decided she wants to say goodbye, we need to be there to help her."

"I don't."

"You love Kendall."

"I know," Cammy nodded. "I hate her dad."

"She would go to your father's funeral."

"Duh, because it's her dad too."

"I meant... never mind. Cammy just... pick the dress, alright."

"I want to wear the pants," Cammy argued, perhaps just for the sake of arguing. She hadn't been in a good mood at all. Mrs. Fisher thought maybe hearing she would get a day off school would make going to the funeral a little more bearable for the nine year old, but Cammy hadn't been happy in the slightest.

"Kendall will appreciate that," Mrs. Fisher said and left her daughter to get dressed. She made her way downstairs, finding Chase was in her kitchen, pouring himself a coffee. She smiled at the black Ranger.

"You're early."

"I let myself in. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Mrs. Fisher shook her head. "Jon and Cammy are just finishing getting ready and then we'll pick up the others."

"That sounds like a plan," Chase said and sipped his coffee. Mrs. Fisher sat next to him after pouring herself a cup.

"How is Kendall this morning? Have you heard from her?"

"I dropped Koda off earlier and she seemed... really down."

"Understandable."

Chase shook his head. He glanced to the stairs to be sure Mr. Fisher or Cammy weren't coming down, then leaned in closer to Mrs. Fisher, "She's been really upset lately, Mrs. Fisher. Like... unlike herself upset."

"People do tend not to act like themselves when someone's died," Mrs. Fisher nodded her head. "When my mother died, I couldn't recognise the face in the mirror for months."

"Not like that," Chase said. "I tried talking to her yesterday about it but... I really don't know what to say. I think she thinks she could have saved him."

"With the kidney?"

Chase nodded, "I was catching her fiddling with the energem. Like a nervous tick, kinda. When Kendall gets nervous she gets this cute little twitch her in eye and goes on and on about her work. She designed five Dino Chargers the first time she had dinner with you and Mr. Fisher. She's never fiddled with anything, though, much less her energem. Last night, she kept mentioning how she should have given him the kidney and how he would be alive if she had. I really think she feels guilty about this whole thing."

"Well, I can't say I blame her," Mrs. Fisher nodded. "But I don't see how she did anything wrong. There's a reason no one but Tom tried to force her to give up her kidney. They're hers. She's completely in the right not to want to give one of them up."

"I know that. But Kendall is... Mrs. Fisher, I know she's your daughter but if I can just... This stuff gets to her. A lot. She acts like she doesn't care about others and she's pretty good at making everyone believe it but the truth is that no one cares more. This kind of stuff really hurts her."

"I know."

"And so far, it's been a good thing," Chase said. "She's kept us safe on the battlefield because of how much she cares. But right now... it's really working against her, Mrs. Fisher. She's a good person, and the fact that someone died, and she had the chance to stop it from happening and didn't, is eating away at her. I wish there was something I could do. I wish I knew what I could do but... I really don't."

"That's because your girlfriend is smart," Mrs. Fisher smirked. "She expects you to take her side."

"What do you mean?"

"You're her boyfriend, Chase. Her father hurt her. Of course you're going to tell her she did the right thing. Even if she knows it's the truth, she'll never believe it when it's coming from you. In fact, she won't believe any of us."

"Who will she believe?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Fisher shook her head. "If I knew, they would already have spoken with her."

"So what can I do?" Chase asked. Mrs. Fisher smiled at him.

"You can drive us to the cemetery so we're there on time. You can say a few words to Mr. Morgan and hold Kendall's hand until she's ready to listen to you. Can you do that?"

"I will," he smiled. Finally, Cammy and Mr. Fisher came down the stairs, both equally grumpy. Chase chuckled at Cammy as she sat down next to him at the table.

"I don't want to go."

"Come on," he told her with a little smile, tapping her nose, "You're probably the only one of us who can make Kendall smile right now. You have to come."

"Fine, but I hate her dad," Cammy said.

"You're not the only one. I'm sure Kendall's not too fond of him either."

"So can we have a roast?" Cammy asked. "I saw one on TV. They make fun of one person. Can we do that?"

"Cammy, that's not appropriate," Mrs. Fisher said while frowning at her husband. "Roasts aren't very appropriate."

"She couldn't sleep and it was the only thing on that didn't show sex or drugs," Mr. Fisher muttered. "I turned the volume down."

"Not low enough," Cammy whispered to Chase with a smirk. "I can roast Kendall's dad real good."

"We're not going for Mr. Morgan," Mrs. Fisher insisted for the umpteenth time. "We're going for Kendall. We're going in support of Kendall. We just so happen to be at the place where Mr. Morgan is buried."

"Fine, I won't roast him," Cammy said and hopped off her seat, "But I won't say anything nice either!"


	4. Better Endings

Kendall appreciated her friends showing up to her father's funeral. Even more, she appreciated that they didn't say anything negative. She knew her father deserved to hear it, but she didn't want to listen to all the bad things her friends and family wanted to say. She felt guilty enough letting him die. He didn't need any trash talk today.

She drove back home with Jeremy and Chase. It had been a long, trying day and she just wanted to head up to her room and forget all about it. She couldn't even bring herself to work, which usually could calm her down, cheer her up or do whatever she needed it to do. Even on her most frustrating days, work was a source of inner calm for her. She knew Jeremy and Chase were going to worry when she got out of the car and headed straight for her bedroom without a word, so she wasn't surprised when there was a knock at the door.

"Can I come in?" Chase asked, peeking his head through a small crack. Kendall sighed and nodded her head. She wanted to be alone, but the offer of company did seem appealing. He sat down next to her on the bed and let out a long breath. "Quite the day, huh?"

"I'm just glad it's over," she said. Chase nodded his head.

"On the bright side, you can finally move on from him, now. No more having to worry about him asking for money or whatever. He can't try to make you feel bad anymore."

Kendall didn't answer. Chase looked to her silently, trying to read the expression on her face. He knew all about the request for a kidney. He knew Kendall had turned her father down, which eventually led to his death. He had encouraged her not to sacrifice an organ for a man who couldn't be bothered to give his time.

"We're not even sure you wouldn't have been a perfect match," he told her. "Genetics can be funny that way, you know."

"I didn't even try."

"You didn't owe him anything."

"That's not... it's not the point, Chase. It was the wrong decision. I didn't act like a hero back then."

"Kendall..."

"I've tried morphing," Kendall stated. "Down in the lab, after G-Ma showed up and told me dad died. I tested my bond with the energem. They're supposed to bond with heroes, with do-gooders."

"Do-gooders?"

"As the purple Ranger, I'm supposed to do everything I can to save everyone, regardless of who they are. I failed to do that with dad for personal reasons and..."

"You've morphed since refusing him a kidney."

"But not since he died."

"You mean to tell me an energem that waited 65 million years to bond to you, specifically, had to wait until your father died to know you weren't the person it thought you were?" Chase asked with a funny look. "Alright, I get I'm not the leading expert on energems. That's your job. But, personally, I think if you really made the wrong choice there, that energem would have rejected you then and there. It did that with me, when I made fun of Shelby."

Kendall nodded her head. Chase did bring up a good point. She wasn't sure the full potential of the energems, but it seemed they were able to predict, in some sense, the future. They had, after all, waited many years and timed their discovery just right in order to be found by the right person.

"Besides, you didn't reject your father out of spite," Chase suggested. "You _wanted_ to give him the kidney at first, remember?"

"Everyone talked me out of it."

"For good reason, Kendall. Between then and now, we've needed you in ways you couldn't have done if you had been laid up after surgery. I'll bet you still think you would have been back on your feet in a matter of days, but... not in any way that counts. By refusing to help your father, you've kept us all safe. You've protected Cammy, your parents, your brother. You were saving the whole world. The fact that your father happened to be a guy who didn't deserve a helping hand from you just makes this all the better in my eyes."

"I would have been helping someone who didn't deserve it."

"At the expense of millions of people who did," Chase nodded and smiled to see Kendall was getting the point. He took her hand, "Look, I can't begin to understand how this all feels for you. When my dad died, I was devastated, you know. But since I had a good relationship with him, that's kind of expected. What you and your dad had, it's complicated. And I get that the way you feel about losing him is probably pretty complicated too."

Kendall nodded her head. She was never good with emotions. She had never learned to express them, nor had she ever been particularly good at identifying her own. Hell, for the longest time, she had been sure she had no emotions; with no connections to anyone, and very little to live for, her feelings on certain matters didn't seem to hold much weight. Suddenly, she was thrust into a world with friends, with family and that brought on a whirlwind of emotions for her to figure out.

And right now, she seemed to be feeling them all at once, and without any friends who had the same experiences as her, she didn't know how to handle them. It meant the world to her that Chase was trying his best. It was all she could ask from him, and all that she could expect.

But right now, she really wished she had someone to talk to.

As if on cue, Cammy walked into Kendall's bedroom. She didn't knock, but she was carrying a little bouquet of flowers. Kendall could tell her little sister was coming in to cheer her up.

"I got you these," she said and put them on the bed before climbing up. "They're purple. Your favourite colour."

"Thank you, Cammy," Kendall smiled.

"Bella said you looked very sad at the funeral," Cammy said. "She thought you could use a little cheering up."

"Are they downstairs?"

"They're going to make you dinner," Cammy nodded. "They said if you wanted to talk, they were ready to listen."

"Thank you," Kendall said. Cammy shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't say mean things about your dad. It was really hard."

"I know."

"When my dad dies, you can say mean things about him," Cammy told Kendall. Kendall looked to her little sister.

"You might be too sad to hear it."

Cammy shook her head first, then shrugged her shoulders. "I... I don't know, actually."

"It would be hard, right?" Chase said, intentionally prompting the conversation. "You're related to them, but you don't really know them all that much. It's got to be weird."

"Maybe I would be a little sad," Cammy stated and Chase knew to leave the conversation with them. Slowly and quietly he got off the bed to leave the girls to talk. Only they would understand each other. Cammy continued to speak as Chase left. "I do want to meet my dad one day. I would be sad if I couldn't."

"I guess I was always hoping for the same thing," Kendall said to Cammy. "I think deep down I thought dad would come around. He would try to make up for lost time."

"Yeah."

"I'm kind of glad I can put that thought to rest though," Kendall stated. "I mean, dad's let me down so many times... It's certain now that he can't do it again. I can move on."

"And I have Jon," Cammy smiled. "He's the only dad I need, for sure."

"But it's still weird, right?" Kendall asked. "If your dad died... it would feel weird?"

"I think it always feels weird," Cammy stated, to Kendall's surprise. "It felt weird when mom died. It would feel weird if Jon or Bella died. It felt weird when Keeper died."

"That's true."

"I don't think you're supposed to know what to do. Even if you are a grown up," Cammy said and Kendall nodded her head.

"I don't know what to do."

"Bella said when her mom died, she didn't know what to do."

"I guess that's normal," Kendall suggested. Cammy smiled.

"Yeah. You're luckier now, though."

"I'm luckier?"

"Yeah. Your dad died, but you don't have to find a new family again. You already have one," Cammy said with a bright smile. "So everything is already a little better, right?"

Kendall nodded her head, "I guess it is," she reached out to Cammy and pulled the little girl into her arms. "You're a smart kid, you know that?"

"I just wanted to make you feel better," Cammy smiled and looked up at her sister. "Did I do that?"

"You did."

"Yes!" Cammy threw her hands in the air and pulled free from Kendall. She jumped off the bed and raced out of Kendall's room. "Jeremy! I told you! I told you I could do it!"

Kendall shook her head and chuckled as she followed her sister out of her room. She made her way to the kitchen, where Jeremy was rolling his eyes at Cammy's teasing, her mother was getting a meal ready for everyone and her father and Chase were offering their help where possible.

Kendall hadn't said much at her father's funeral. A quick apology for not being able to spare him the kidney he needed and letting him know that in spite of everything, she would miss him. However, now, she knew exactly what to say.

"Thank you," she whispered just to herself. For without him, she never would have found this family.


End file.
